It is a set of stories about women, most, but not all, white women from the south; most, but not all, divorced or many times married, most sad in some defined or undefined way. It is most often a picture of a time when marriage was a social goal, career an afterthought or discouraged, children freer than they seem today, or less cared for. In those set in the south, the awareness of race and class are prominent themes. Many of the stories are told by or about children as witness to the adults in their lives.
That makes the stories sound unredeemably sad, but not entirely. Happiness is sometimes thwarted, or sometimes offstage, or sometimes reported after the fact. It's not the interesting part.

The earliest story is from 1959, the last from 1978, and the social fabric changes in a way I recognize, having lived through it, albeit without the prevalence of alcohol and divorce. They would certainly fail the Bechtel test - but then, I think the whole era would have, wouldn't it? ( )

good stories. ( )